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Canada Kills Baby Seals and Exploits Humans

March 21, 2008 | Seals / Press Releases

Friends of Animals Calls for a Town Meeting and an End to Both

Victoria-The killing season is about to begin: 275,000 harp and hooded seal pups are set to be shot or bludgeoned to death off Newfoundland's northeast coast in Canada. Whether one is the killer or the one being killed, it's a brutal and degrading way of life for everyone involved-and Friends of Animals thinks it's time for this tragic, senseless practice to end.

Priscilla Feral, President of Friends of Animals, says, "A privileged nation and global power like Canada should take socially responsible action to provide alternative livelihoods to Newfoundlanders and others in economically depressed areas."

While Canada's government claims killing seals is both economically necessary and humane, Dave Shishkoff, Canadian Correspondent for Friends of Animals notes, "Canada's economy should not depend on the mass slaughter of seals-or any other animal. Reducing living beings to pelts and faddish health supplements is unnecessary, irrational and vicious." Despite claims to the contrary, there is no ecological reason to kill seals, either; they are killed for the quintessential human vanity: seal fur.

Friends of Animals is now proposing a town meeting in St. John's, Newfoundland to bring two critical issues to the table: the lives of seals and the lives of Canadians who profit from their mass slaughter. Friends of Animals endeavors to find a solution that supports the lives of both. Justice occurs when humans repudiate violence against all animals, human and non-humans alike.

The Canadian government subsidizes the mass slaughter, which directly supports the fur industry. Friends of Animals says it's time for the subsidies and the fur industry to end.

Feral states, "Seals are not commodities. They're more than fur, more than oil. They are living, feeling ocean mammals, entitled to their freedom. The seal hunt must end and Canada's government must assist employees of the seal kill in providing unemployment benefits until other work can be developed."

Climate change, a proposed ban on all seal products by the European Union and a diminishing fur industry are all making seal killing less profitable. Shishkoff says, "Seals, however, should not have to wait for the seal market to collapse before we stop killing them. The slaughter needs to end now."

Comments

Submitted by Katherine Ryan on Fri, 2008-03-21 13:28

It is outrageous that this hunt continues despite so many people against this. It is hard to believe in the 21st century that something this cruel can continue and be justified. I think Canada is a disgrace to this planet and should be considered a third world country. There are humane ways to make a living and to say that this kind of act of unbelievable cruelty is necessary is just unbelievable! I don't know how anyone with a conscience can sleep at night participating in this hunt or supporting it. Animals are capable of feeling pain whether they are lower life forms or not. I will never understand how any person can decide whose life is more important or more meaningful or form of life high or low. Leave these poor seals alone and get a real job!! It is disgraceful and shameful for a country to allow this. I know I am sick to death of hearing about it year after year. It needs to end!!!!!

This is disgusting.
How would those involved like to be clubbed to death?
They are Barbarians.
[Blog editors' note: It's a grisly, monstrous issue and difficult not to project the idea of turning the tables on the seal killers. In truth, hurling insults at them hasn't stopped the commercial kill. The Canadian government has escalated it, and the way out of this misery lies with prompting Canadians to take up the cause of influencing their government and residents to WAKE UP and call the whole thing off. ]

Seals are awesome. What have they ever done wrong to the people that are killing them. Every killing of an animal should be made illegal. People do not need fur. They need regular things. Animals need it so they can live in their weather climates. Seals are neat and they deserve a better life then being killed.

I am always amazed how non-vegans get outraged at others, whether it be a country or another human who has transgressed against their "cuddly animal" of choice.
The seal hunt is absolutely atrocious, but no less atrocious than the billions of calves, lambs, chicks, etc who are routinely murdered for food or in laboratories.
Whether they are lower lifeforms or not is not the issue. The issue is for flesh/flesh eaters/cows milk drinkers to realize that they are just as cruel and as accountable for the horrific short lives of the non humans they consume and wear.

I believe in this century there is an alternative to killing animals so, humans can survive. I understand that these people in this community say they depend on the killing of seals to survive but, to me there is another way than this. These seals and many other animals have suffered and been treated inhumanely-an end needs to come to this! We are priviledged to have dominion over these animals and need to use it in a positive way. The government should spend time developing ideas to help these people that doesn't involve the killing of animals rather than spending the time killing them. In this day and age this should not be going on.

Clubbing defenseless baby seals to death for their fur is a barbaric way to earn a living. It is time for the Canadian government to end this cruel practice by providing unemployment benefits and job training to the few remaining people who still support themselves with this savage practice.

Friends of Animals is taking a much needed holistic viewpoint on the Canadian seal slaughter, and I firmly believe that this is where the solutions are to be found.
As consumers, all of us should pay close attention to the impact our choices make on the environment and other living beings. Boycotting all fur and animal skins is a baby step to be taken to assure that seal pelts won't have a profitable market.

There was a time when I wanted to visit Canada. Not anymore, at least not until these senseless deaths cease.
I know we have a lot of senseless animal death in America too, so I'm not trying to be a hypocrate.
It's time for people to understand that a life is a life and not a commodity.